ecological footprint
TRANSCRIPT
Ecological Footprint measures how Ecological Footprint measures how much land and water area a human much land and water area a human population requires to produce the population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes under prevailing technologyits wastes under prevailing technology
That is, it measures the extent to which That is, it measures the extent to which humanity is using nature's resources humanity is using nature's resources faster than they can regeneratefaster than they can regenerate
So Where are We At?So Where are We At?
The footprint is a resource accounting tool The footprint is a resource accounting tool that can help us plan for a world in which we that can help us plan for a world in which we all live well, within the means of our one all live well, within the means of our one planetplanet
But today, humanity's Ecological Footprint But today, humanity's Ecological Footprint is over 23% larger than what the planet can is over 23% larger than what the planet can regenerateregenerate
It now takes more than one year and two It now takes more than one year and two months for the Earth to regenerate what we months for the Earth to regenerate what we use in a single yearuse in a single year
Ecological OvershootEcological Overshoot
When humanity's ecological resource When humanity's ecological resource demands exceed what nature can demands exceed what nature can supply, we reach ecological overshootsupply, we reach ecological overshoot
The effects: collapsing fisheries, The effects: collapsing fisheries, carbon-induced climate change, carbon-induced climate change, species extinction, deforestation, and species extinction, deforestation, and the loss of groundwaterthe loss of groundwater
The human footprint has more than The human footprint has more than tripled since 1960tripled since 1960
Humanity's Footprint Humanity's Footprint 1961-20031961-2003
How many Earths were needed to meet the How many Earths were needed to meet the resource requirements of humanity for each resource requirements of humanity for each year?year?
Ratio between Ratio between resource demand & resource demand & BiocapacityBiocapacity
Demand = population Demand = population times per capita times per capita consumptionconsumption
Biocapacity = 1planetBiocapacity = 1planet
World EcologicalWorld EcologicalFootprintFootprint
Components of the World's Components of the World's Average per PersonAverage per Person
Some DefinitionsSome Definitions
CO2 is carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gasCO2 is carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas
CO2-e is the equivalent in CO2 of all greenhouse CO2-e is the equivalent in CO2 of all greenhouse gasses including methane and fluorocarbonsgasses including methane and fluorocarbons
Bts is the weight of greenhouse gasses in the Bts is the weight of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere as billion tonnes metricatmosphere as billion tonnes metric
ppm is the ratio of the number of greenhouse gas ppm is the ratio of the number of greenhouse gas molecules to the total number of molecules of dry molecules to the total number of molecules of dry air as parts per millionair as parts per million
IPCC is the UN International Panel on Climate IPCC is the UN International Panel on Climate ChangeChange
PredictionsPredictions
Recent research shows that there is a Recent research shows that there is a ten percent risk that we will pass an ten percent risk that we will pass an irreversible tipping point in the irreversible tipping point in the next five yearsnext five years
Greenhouse-gas concentrations in the Greenhouse-gas concentrations in the atmosphere now stand at around atmosphere now stand at around 430ppm CO2-e, compared with only 430ppm CO2-e, compared with only 280ppm before the Industrial 280ppm before the Industrial RevolutionRevolution
Our industrial life-style has added Our industrial life-style has added 2,300 Bts over 200 years each year at 2,300 Bts over 200 years each year at increasing ratesincreasing rates
Output in 2050 will be around 87 BtsOutput in 2050 will be around 87 Bts The total CO2-e in the atmosphere will The total CO2-e in the atmosphere will
then have accumulated to 5,300± Bts, then have accumulated to 5,300± Bts, which is over twice today's amount which is over twice today's amount
A child born in a wealthy country is A child born in a wealthy country is likely to consume, waste, and likely to consume, waste, and pollute more in her/his lifetime than pollute more in her/his lifetime than 50 children born in poorer nations50 children born in poorer nations
Rising Sea LevelsRising Sea Levels
Sea levels are predicted to rise more than 5 Sea levels are predicted to rise more than 5 metres as temperatures get over 2 C, metres as temperatures get over 2 C, principally from melting ice from Greenland principally from melting ice from Greenland and the Antarctic—Greenland could be and the Antarctic—Greenland could be losing more than 80 cubic miles of ice per losing more than 80 cubic miles of ice per yearyear
A 1 mm rise in sea level causes a shoreline A 1 mm rise in sea level causes a shoreline retreat of about 1.5 metersretreat of about 1.5 meters
In the past 50 years, sea level has been rising In the past 50 years, sea level has been rising 1.8mm a year - which is ten times the 1.8mm a year - which is ten times the average for the past 3,000 years—in the last average for the past 3,000 years—in the last decade this has increased to 3.1mmdecade this has increased to 3.1mm
Temperature & Sea LevelTemperature & Sea Level
The ImpactThe Impact
A one-meter rise in sea level would A one-meter rise in sea level would inundate half of Bangladesh's rice land, inundate half of Bangladesh's rice land, and would seriously flood Viet Nam, and would seriously flood Viet Nam, China, India and Thailand, the China, India and Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Egypt…Philippines, Indonesia and Egypt…
And inundate parts of hundreds of And inundate parts of hundreds of cities, including some of the world’s cities, including some of the world’s largest such as London, Alexandria, largest such as London, Alexandria, Bangkok, and ShanghaiBangkok, and Shanghai
As CO2 is taken up by the oceans, the pH As CO2 is taken up by the oceans, the pH level is reduced, which causes the water to level is reduced, which causes the water to become more acid—in the past the amount become more acid—in the past the amount being absorbed and the amount being being absorbed and the amount being emitted were in balanceemitted were in balance
Today changes in sea water affect the yield of Today changes in sea water affect the yield of fish, marine bird populationsfish, marine bird populations
Yet a billion people around the world depend Yet a billion people around the world depend on fish for their main source of proteinon fish for their main source of protein
Regional FootprintsRegional Footprints
National FootprintsNational Footprints
AA nation's consumption is calculated by nation's consumption is calculated by adding imports to and subtracting adding imports to and subtracting exports from national productionexports from national production
Today most countries are running Today most countries are running ecological deficitsecological deficits
In 2003, humanity's Footprint exceeded In 2003, humanity's Footprint exceeded the Earth's biological capacity by over the Earth's biological capacity by over 25 percent25 percent
United StatesUnited States
U.S. FootprintU.S. FootprintBy ComponentBy Component
Biocapacity varies each year with ecosystem management, agricultural practices (such as fertilizer use and irrigation), ecosystem degradation
CubaCuba
Cuba suffered Cuba suffered from the from the disintegration disintegration of the USSRof the USSR in in 19891989
Cuba adapted Cuba adapted to live more in to live more in line with its own line with its own natural capacitynatural capacity
Cuban FootprintCuban Footprintby Componentby Component
MexicoMexico
Mexico has moved from using only 1/3 of Mexico has moved from using only 1/3 of its domestic biocapacity in 1961 to nearly its domestic biocapacity in 1961 to nearly 1 ½ times its own biocapacity in 20021 ½ times its own biocapacity in 2002
Mexican FootprintMexican Footprintby Componentby Component
How Much Nature Does How Much Nature Does Your Lifestyle Demand?Your Lifestyle Demand?
http://ecofoot.org/http://ecofoot.org/ -- -- Take the Quiz!Take the Quiz!1. How often do you eat animal based 1. How often do you eat animal based
products? (once or twice a week)products? (once or twice a week)2. How much of the food that you eat is 2. How much of the food that you eat is
processed, packaged and not locally processed, packaged and not locally grown? (3/4)grown? (3/4)
3.3. Compared to people in your Compared to people in your neighborhood, how much waste do neighborhood, how much waste do you generate?you generate? (about the same)(about the same)
4.4. How many people live in your How many people live in your household? (2)household? (2)
5. What is the size of your home? 5. What is the size of your home? (1500-1900 sq. ft.)(1500-1900 sq. ft.)
6. Which housing type best describes 6. Which housing type best describes your home?your home? (Free standing with (Free standing with
running water)running water)7. Do you have electricity in your 7. Do you have electricity in your home?home? (yes)(yes)8.8. On average, how far do you travel on On average, how far do you travel on public transportation each week?public transportation each week? (0)(0)
9. On average, how far do you go by 9. On average, how far do you go by motorbike each week?motorbike each week? (0)10. On average, how far do you go by car each week? (10-100 miles)11. Do you bicycle, walk, or use animal
power to get around? (seldom)(seldom)12. Approximately how many hours do you 12. Approximately how many hours do you
spend flying each year?spend flying each year? (10 hours)(10 hours)13. How many miles per gallon does your car 13. How many miles per gallon does your car
get? (25-35 mpg)get? (25-35 mpg)14. How often do you drive in a car with 14. How often do you drive in a car with someone else, rather than alone?someone else, rather than alone?
(almost never)(almost never)
The ResultsThe Results
CATEGORYCATEGORY ACRESACRES
FoodFood 4.74.7
MobilityMobility 1.01.0
ShelterShelter 10.410.4
Goods/ServicesGoods/Services 10.410.4
Total FootprintTotal Footprint 26.026.0
What Does it Mean?What Does it Mean?
IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSONCOUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON
WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON PER PERSON
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 5.9 PLANETSWE WOULD NEED 5.9 PLANETS
If everyone in the world If everyone in the world lived as we do in the lived as we do in the United States, we would United States, we would need over 7½ planets to need over 7½ planets to live sustainablylive sustainably